Aspects of the present invention generally relate to energy storage systems for transport systems, such as electric vehicles, robots, and the like. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to energy storage systems configured for distribution throughout a system.
Conventional transport systems utilize lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. Disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries include lengthy recharge times, bulkiness, and relatively short life due to mechanical and/or chemical degradation. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries require increasingly large physical sizes (e.g., volume) for adequate power generation for vehicles or the like because energy and power are dependent on each other.
Although conventional flow batteries provide advantages compared to lithium-ion batteries, including long cycle life, separation of energy and power ratings, and availability of deep discharge, they are too bulky and provide insufficient power for use in transport systems. Flow batteries include reaction cells within a confined volume, such as channels within a metallic, graphite, or composite plate. Increasing membrane surface area in the plate to increase power results in added weight from the additional material in the plate and increases the volume of the reaction cell. Utilizing these bulky reaction cells in a transport system would result inefficient space utilization, as well as unequal weight distribution. In other words, conventional flow batteries may be well-suited for stationary applications but are too heavy and bulky for utilization in transitory environments, such as electric vehicles and the like.